Special Present
by FadeIntoTheBackground
Summary: Little Bones oneshot. B&B. MERRY CHRISTMAS RACH! Booth has a special Christmas present for Brennan. What will it lead to? Rated for safety.


**This is Rach's Christmas present. It's rambling and rondom, but I needed to write something, no help from you Rach :P Hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Bones, this whole fic would be happening.**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS RACH! (CheerChickx)**

'You should come.'

'I'm not coming.'

'You really should.'

'Nice try.'

'How about if I ask extra nicely?'

Brennan raised her eyebrows at Booth, who was sitting on the edge of a lab table, swinging his legs with an innocent, immature expression pasted on his face. He was winding her up, she was sure of it, yet at the same time, he looked earnest, as if he really wanted her to listen to him. Brennan's thoughts wavered.

'What?' Booth asked her.

Brennan suddenly realised she had been staring silently at him. 'Nothing,' she bent her head over some bone fragments, trying to hide the colour she could feel flooding to her face.

'Listen,' Booth began again. 'Its only a little party, not like a big fancy Christmas do with tuxedos and cocktails and-' he gestured with his hands in the air, '-you know, its just a bit of fun for some friends.'

'I'm busy that night,' Brennan remained stubborn as she picked up a pair of tweezers.

'Off meeting some secret boyfriend?'

Brennan looked up. 'I told you, I don't have a boyfriend, I'm just not interested, sorry Booth.'

Booth slipped silently off the table, and before Brennan could react, he was standing behind her, arms round her shoulders. 'Please?' He tried again in her ear.

Brennan almost stiffened, a natural instinct, before she remembered that this was Booth and remained relaxed. Booth was her…her friend. Yes, he was her friend. He had been holding her that way quite a few times recently, it felt nice. But she soon remembered why he was here, and sighed.

'Why Booth?' She groaned. 'You know I don't want to, I want a quiet Christmas Eve. '

'I'll keep the music turned down,' he promised.

'Very funny.'

'Ok, but seriously Temperance, we can all have fun. Parker will be there, he's looking forward to seeing you.'

Brennan almost smiled as she thought of Booth's sweet little son, who had been friendly and welcoming to her every time she went around to Booth's apartment, which had been more and more often, come to think of it. It had started off as her popping round to give Booth some case files, or something else work-related, but recently it had been less of that and more two friends just having a drink and talking together.

'You already told Parker I was coming?'

'He assumed it. He thinks you're my girlfriend now.'

She cringed to herself, pleased that Booth couldn't see her face, but brushed it aside. 'Fine. I'll come. But I'll regret it.'

'You won't.'

'Trust me, I do already.'

'You can have fun. For once.' Booth put his chin on her shoulder, and didn't move his arms from around her.

'Well hello, did I walk in on something here?'

Booth jumped back at the sound of Angela's voice, sliding his arms away from Brennan, leaving her alone and embarrassed as her best friend came up the steps to the work area.

'Didn't know you two were on serious hugging terms,' she continued when neither of them said anything. Booth resumed his seat on one of the tables.

'He was trying to....persuade me to do something,' Brennan mumbled.

'Ooh, I want the details. What was this persuasion for? "Brennan, if you sleep with me I'll buy you a new handbag?"'

'Don't be thick,' Booth told her.

'He was trying to make me come to some party at his apartment on Christmas Eve,' Brennan still wasn't looking at Angela.

'Hmm, not as juicy as I thought. You invited me to that too Booth, but I didn't get a hug like that when it was my turn. Why not?'

'Temperance takes more persuasion.'

'And that was the way to do it?' Angela dropped Booth a wink.

Booth shrugged awkwardly and Brennan looked up. 'Ange, stop winding us up. I'm not going anyway.'

Booth blinked. 'What?'

'I don't want to come.'

'Temperance! You said-'

'The subject's closed Booth!' she called, striding out of the work area.

Angela turned to Booth. 'Bummer.'

'Oh shut up,' he snapped at her, before sliding off the table and striding away.

* * *

Brennan poured herself a glass of wine and settled on one of the high stools at her kitchen counter. Her stereo was turned down low, playing a 'Christmas Song Collaboration' CD. It was Christmas Eve, and she was perfectly happy at home alone, instead of out socialising. She had a small Christmas tree covered in decorations in the corner of the lounge, with a few presents under it, and tinsel strung here and there around her apartment. That was Christmassy enough for her.

Booth had acted perfectly ordinary at work even though she had refused to come to his party the week before. Nothing more had been said on the subject, and he had continued hugging her as usual. It now felt routine, but she knew that she could never admit to anyone how much she enjoyed it. Even Angela.

_Particularly _Angela, who winked and wolf whistled every time they practically looked at each other.

'Hey-Hey!'

Brennan jumped, and sat straight up, the voice had come from the corridor outside her front door.

'Temperance, open up!'

Oh god no, not now!

She hurried to the door and yanked it open. 'Booth! What the hell are you doing here?'

'Paying you a visit.'

'What about your party? What about everyone else?'

'I cancelled it.'

'You….what?'

'I called it off, said I'd do something for new year instead. Parker's with his mum.'

'But why?'

'Because she wanted to have him for Christmas Eve, we can both see him tomorrow and-'

'No, I meant why did you cancel it?'

'You weren't coming.'

'So?'

'I wanted you there, wouldn't have been fun without you.' He gave her that deep, earnest look with his dark eyes.

'Well, thanks,' Brennan was a bit lost for words. 'You, urm, didn't have to do that.'

'I wanted to see you anyway, wanted to talk. I have a special present for you. Am I allowed in?'

'Yeah…..I suppose.'

Booth had been in her apartment several times before, but never unexpected like this, it was always work-related.

'So do you want a drink?'

'Sure.'

Brennan used pouring him some wine as an excuse to turn away from him. She was struggling with her thoughts. Why was this so awkward? She had spent time with him before hadn't she? Alone? No, not alone. There had always been Parker there in his apartment. So what would happen now? Memories of last Christmas came flooding back to her, kissing Booth under the mistletoe.

She turned around, frustrated with herself, and handed Booth his glass.

'Thanks. You look nice.'

'You too,' she gestured to his jeans and blue shirt.

Oh bloody hell. An awkward silence. They both sipped their drinks.

'Um, Temperance?'

She looked up at him through her lashes. God her eyes were amazing, she looked incredible. Booth was having trouble coming to terms with his thoughts, he struggled with his words.

'How do you feel about me?' He blurted at her. He was surprised at himself. He had meant to tell her that there was something he wanted her to know, but he seemed to have skipped that bit. Damn it, now he had gone too far already.

'I-' Brennan was lost for words. 'How…..how do you feel? About me?' Was all she could say.

Booth moved steadily towards her, taking her glass from her hand and setting it on the table. 'I feel like this,' he whispered.

Brennan's brain was failing to keep up with her racing heart as Booth moved in towards her. His eyes closed, and hers did too, and suddenly, with no idea how it had happened, he was kissing her.

The bewildering thing was that she was kissing him back, no questions asked, no hesitation. It felt so ordinary, so natural, as if she had wanted this all along.

Had she?

For once in her life, she stopped trying to think logically, and let her heart take over, do what it wanted.

They eased away from each other, gently, but Booth kept his arms around her waist. Brennan sucked in a breath of air and smiled a trembling smile at him.

'Was that my special present?' She asked him.

'No.'

He pushed her up against the fridge, and they were suddenly kissing again, suddenly, startlingly. This was real, Brennan reminded herself. There was no going back, a new door had opened for her.

Booth's lips stopped moving with hers, and broke off for just a moment. His head tilted as he considered the breathless woman in his arms.

'That was.'

**I hope you liked it. I've never written Bones before, but hopefully it was ok.****.**

**Love you Rach xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**


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